The House

Home to the stunning Mortlake tapestries, woven from the internationally famous Raphael cartoons, now housed in the V&A, the Abbey has a rich and varied history spanning 900 years. Walk in the actual footsteps of the monks, and explore the exquisite interior featured in the latest Hollywood adaptation of ‘Far From the Madding Crowd.’

The Gardens

Described by Rachel De Thame in September’s edition of The Sunday Times: “Even the green-fingered are not immune to fads: as with Dahlia ‘Cafe au Lait’ or ‘Labyrinth,’ suddenly it seems everyone is talking about a particular thing. And this year it’s a garden – Forde Abbey, near Chard in Dorset.” Thirty acres of award-winning gardens and the highest powered fountain in the country.

Visitor Info

Everything you need to know to plan your day out at Forde Abbey including information on ticket prices, activities for children around the house and gardens, how to find us, places to stay nearby and a range of events to suit all ages throughout the year.

Weddings

A beautiful and historic country house venue with award-winning gardens that offer romance, elegance, grandeur and beauty. To make your day even more special, Forde Abbey never books more than one wedding at a weekend, making it exclusively yours to enjoy.

They’re the welcome burst of colour in the Spring before the garden really gets going. And with such variety, that ordering the bulbs in October gets more involved with every year. What started out as a display of 13,000 bulbs back in 2013 has rapidly grown to over...